Garment covering for an infant car seat or carrier

ABSTRACT

A garment covering for an infant car seat or carrier is fabricated as a unitary one piece covering made of a blanket-type material. The covering has a front section, a back section, a neck section, and a closed bottom. The front section of the covering extends uninterrupted for the length and width of the covering, such that it is entirely closed. The back section has two rear flaps extending from opposite sides of the front section. Two arm sections extend from the front section and the flaps. An enclosed pouch is located at the back of the covering. The pouch has an opening which extends from the opening to the closed bottom of the covering. An infant seated in and strapped into an infant seat or carrier can easily and effectively be covered by and snugly fit into the garment covering by inserting the child&#39;s legs into the pouch, the child&#39;s arms into the arm sections, tucking the flaps around the shoulders and behind the child, and attaching the neck section, by means of Velcro®, snaps, buttons, or similar attachment devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Infant seats, especially car seats and other baby carriers, by necessity, have straps and buckles which secure the child safely in place. Such strap and buckle systems, while they are important from a safety standpoint, make covering up the infant in the seat with a blanket or cover difficult and frustrating. Standard blankets placed over a child secured in a car seat or carrier routinely will be caused, by the obstructive presence of straps, to slide and fall off. Attempts to tuck in a blanket over such a secured seated infant are often futile, in that the blanket will usually be kicked off by the squirming child. While numerous infant and baby covers and blankets which are specially designed for use with infant seats and carriers have been suggested, most have serious drawbacks. Many of these prior covers or cover systems remain cumbersome to use on an infant seat or carrier, do not adequately cover or easily come off the child, and/or contain a number of components which makes them expensive to manufacture, or more importantly, creates a hazard to the child.

There is currently no covering for an infant car seat or carrier which can easily and readily be positioned on a seated infant, provide a safe, secure and comfortable fit around the infant, and be economically fabricated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus the object of the present invention to overcome the limitations and disadvantages of existing infant seat or carrier covers.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a garment covering for an infant seat or carrier which is easy to place and secure over an infant strapped into the car seat or carrier.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a garment covering for an infant seat or carrier which, once placed over the seated infant, totally covers the infant and prevents the garment covering from being kicked or falling off the infant.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a garment covering for an infant seat or carrier which is a unitary, one piece covering made of blanket-type material which is relatively easy and economical to make.

These and other objects are provided by the present invention, a garment covering for an infant car seat or carrier which is a unitary one piece covering made of a blanket-type material. The covering has a front section, a back section, a neck section, and a closed bottom. The front section of the covering extends uninterrupted for the length and width of the covering, such that it is entirely closed. The back section has two rear flaps extending from opposite sides of the front section. Two arm sections extend from the front section and the flaps. An enclosed pouch is located at the back of the covering. The pouch has an opening which extends from the opening to the closed bottom of the covering. An infant seated in and strapped into an infant seat or carrier can easily and effectively be covered by and snugly fit into the garment covering by inserting the child's legs into the pouch, the child's arms into the arm sections, tucking the flaps around the shoulders and behind the child, and attaching the neck section, by means of Velcro®, snaps, buttons, or similar attachment devices.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its design, construction and use, together with additional features and advantages thereof, are best understood upon review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the garment covering of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the garment covering of the present invention with its flaps folded over and positioned together.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the garment covering of the present invention with its flaps spread apart.

FIG. 4 shows an infant strapped into an infant seat or carrier.

FIG. 5 shows the garment covering of the present invention in use on an infant strapped into an infant seat or carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Infant garment cover or covering 1 is made entirely of soft, fleece or equivalent soft, warmth capturing, blanket-type material. It is configured as a unitary, one piece, covering which can be easily and readily put on an infant who is positioned in an infant car seat or carrier.

Covering 1 has a closed bottom 2 and comprises front section 4, neck section 10, and back section 12 having rear flaps 14 and 16. Open ended arm sections 20 and 22 extend from opposite sides of covering 1, i.e. from front section 4 and rear flaps 14 and 16.

Front section 4 comprises material which has a front side 6 and back side 8 and extends uninterrupted the length and width of covering 1, from its neck section 10 to its closed bottom 2. The front section 4 and the front of covering 1 itself, is entirely closed.

As best seen in FIG. 2, when rear flaps 14 and 16 are positioned directly over back side 8 of the material which makes up front section 4, they are separated by elongated opening 18. When rear flaps 14 and 16 are spread apart, as seen in FIG. 3, the top portion of back side 8 of front section 4 is exposed.

Covering 1 further comprises pouch 24 having top opening 26, adjacent to back side 8 of front section 4. Pouch 24 extends from top opening 26 to closed bottom 2 of the covering. Pouch 24 encloses cavity 27 which is located between the material making up rear outer section 28 and back side 8 of the material which makes up front section 4. Pouch 24 is configured to enclose the legs of an infant seated in an infant car seat or carrier.

Attachment means 30 are positioned at neck section 10 of covering 1, to loosely secure the covering around the neck of an infant. Velcro®, snaps, buttons, or equivalent means may be utilized as attachment means 30.

In use, infant 40 is first positioned and secured within infant seat or carrier 50 by means of its strap and buckle system 52. See FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 5, covering 1 is then placed over the infant, whose feet are inserted into pouch 24 and whose arms are inserted into arm sections 20 and 22. Rear flaps 14 and 16 can then be readily tucked behind the infant 40, to snugly enclose the child. Attachment means 30 can optimally be secured loosely around the infant to complete the process.

When covering 1 of the present invention is utilized in this manner, an infant secured in an infant car seat or carrier can be entirely and effectively covered by a blanket-type garment which will not fall or come off the covered infant. Covering 1 is also easily and readily positioned over the infant. Its use will not be hindered by the straps and buckles of the seat or carrier and it will not compromise the safety of the seated child.

Certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details as disclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. 

1. A covering for an infant seat or carrier comprising a front section, a neck section, a back section, and a closed bottom; said front section having a front side and a back side, the front section extending uninterrupted the length and width of the covering between the neck section and bottom, such that the front section is entirely closed; the back section comprising two flaps extending from opposite sides of the front section; and an enclosed pouch having a top opening adjacent to the back side of the front section, said pouch extending from the opening to the closed bottom of the covering.
 2. The covering for an infant seat or carrier as in claim 1 wherein the pouch comprises a cavity which is located between a rear outer section and the back side of the front section.
 3. The covering for an infant seat or carrier as in claim 1 wherein the neck section comprises means to secure said section around the neck of an infant.
 4. The covering for an infant seat or carrier as in claim 1 wherein when the flaps are spread out and away from each other, a portion of the back side of the front section is exposed.
 5. The covering for an infant seat or carrier as in claim 4 wherein the pouch comprises a cavity which is located between a rear outer wall section and portion of the back side of the front section.
 6. The covering for an infant seat or carrier as in claim 1 further comprising arm sections extending from opposite sides of the covering.
 7. A covering for an infant seat or carrier comprising a front section, a neck section, a back section, and a closed bottom; said front section having a front side and a back side, the front section extending uninterrupted the length and width of the covering between the neck section and bottom, such that the front section is entirely closed; the back section comprising two flaps extending from opposite sides of the front section; arm sections extending from opposite sides of the covering; and an enclosed pouch having a top opening adjacent to the back side of the front section, said pouch extending from the opening to the closed bottom of the opening and further comprising a cavity which is located between a rear outer section and the back side of the front section.
 8. The covering as in claim 7 wherein the neck section comprises means to secure said section around the neck of an infant.
 9. The covering for an infant seat or carrier as in claim 1 wherein when the flaps are spread out and away from each other, a portion of the back side of the front section is exposed.
 10. An infant garment cover for an infant seat or carrier comprising a unitary, one piece covering made of blanket-type material, said covering having a neck section and a closed bottom and further comprising: a front section having a front side and a back side, the blanket-type material of the front section extending uninterrupted for the length of the covering such that the front section is entirely closed; a back section comprising two flaps extending from opposite sides of the front section; an enclosed pouch having a top opening adjacent to the back side of blanket-type material of the front section, said pouch extending from the opening to the closed bottom of the covering; and two arm members extending from the front section and the flaps.
 11. The infant garment cover for an infant seat or carrier as in claim 8 wherein when the flaps are spread out and away from each other, the back side of the blanket-type material of the front section is exposed.
 12. The infant garment cover for an infant seat or carrier as in claim 10 wherein the pouch comprises a cavity which is located between a rear outer wall section and a portion of the back side of the blanket material of the front section.
 13. The infant garment cover for an infant seat or carrier as in claim 10 wherein the neck section comprises means to secure said section around the neck of an infant. 